The present invention relates to a sealed plastic film pouch having a liquid and a free-floating straw therein and wherein the bag is formed from a multilayer film having an inner sealant layer exhibiting a self-sealing behavior about the straw in the punctured area to provide a seal about the straw.
It is known to form package liquid containers with sealed plastic bags and wherein a straw-like object or extractor is held inside the bag and freely floating within the liquid contained therein. Such a liquid pouch container is, for example, described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,336 issued on May 1, 1973. Such package containers, however, have disadvantages in that it becomes difficult to manipulate the bag to grasp the straw and puncture the bag due to the amount of liquid and air held captive within the sealed bag. This manipulation often causes the bag to burst. It is also important to have an added extra volume within the bag in the event that it is desirable to freeze the package with its liquid content as the extra volume will permit for expansion of the freezing liquid content.
It is desirable with such bags to provide straws with sufficient rigidity, such as polypropylene to puncture the bag without having an end of the straw cut on the bias and without having any means attached to the straw to permit its grasping to facilitate its movement within the bag as such means pose other disadvantages in the automatic assembly of the pouch with its liquid contents. It is also desirable with such package liquid containers to provide a container which is highly hygienic and which is formed of plastic material which will not impart off-taste (acidic taste) to a liquid contained therein and particularly if the liquid is present for a long period of time. It is further desirable with such packages to extend the shelf life thereof so that such packages with their liquid content can be maintained a long period of time before being used. It is also desirable to provide a plastic film pouch which can provide a seal about the straw when the bag is punctured and which can resist impact during handling and shipping
It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide a plastic film pouch which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art and which provides for the needs as above-mentioned.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a sealed plastic film pouch containing a liquid and a free-floating straw therein and wherein the plastic film is a multilayer film having an inner sealant layer possessing a substantially self-sealing behavior about the straw in a punctured area of the bag when in use whereby to provide a seal about the straw.
According to the above feature, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides a plastic film pouch for containing a liquid product. The film pouch has opposed side walls sealed about a peripheral edge thereof to define a sealed inner chamber. At least a portion of at least one of the side walls is formed of transparent film for visual access to the inner chamber. A straw of predetermined rigidity is located freely within the inner chamber. A liquid is contained within the inner chamber and occupies from about 60% to about 90% of the volume of the inner chamber only, whereby to permit the liquid to be displaced within the inner chamber when the side walls are collapsed towards one another to grasp the straw in the liquid and manipulate it to puncture the plastic film pouch whereby to extend a portion of the straw exteriorly of the pouch to extract liquid from the pouch. The plastic film is a multilayer film having an inner sealant layer and at least a different outer polymer or additive, the inner sealant layer being a low density copolymer or polyethylene which does not impart acidic taste.